Friday, February 20th, 2015

The NFL’s annual Underwear Olympics officially went into full swing Friday as the offensive linemen and tight ends became the first position groups to take the field for their on-field workouts at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine.

A number of projected first-round draft picks showed why they are top prospects, while a few other potential early-rounders had underwhelming day. A few small-schoolers stole the spotlight with their speed, while defensive line and linebacker weigh-ins were a telling representation of how some of the draft’s most hyped defensive players stack up against one another in terms of size.

While the on-field workouts have yet to begin at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, the event is already well underway with interviews, medical evaluations, measurements and as of Thursday, the bench press.

The interviews and medicals might truly be the most important aspects of the combine as a whole, but those of us not employed by NFL teams receive little information on what happens behind closed doors. We can, however, utilize the measurements and workout results to see how the top prospects in the 2015 NFL Draft stack up against one another.

With six games between top-25 opponents, including three such matchups where both teams are undefeated, Week 6 of the college football season will help shape the landscape for the rest of the season. This will also be a pivotal week for many of the nation’s top NFL prospects who will be showcased in the week’s key games. It will be interesting to see which players emerge and which disappoint. The lights will be shining as bright as they possibly can for midseason games.

Thursday, September 4th, 2014

Prospects for the 2015 NFL draft have had their opportunities to make a first impression for the 2014 season. That said, the scouting process is a fluid one so putting too much stock into any single performance is foolish. Stacking consistent outings is vital and Week 1 is just the beginning of that process. As we dive into Week 2 of Talent Watch, let’s begin by looking back at the players who were most impressive in the inaugural week of the season.

Thursday, August 28th, 2014

Every Thursday this college football season, BBD’s Joe Marino will provide analysis of some of the nation’s top prospects—as well as prospect rankings and other fun features—in his weekly Talent Watch column.

I’ll never forget watching the 2003 NFL Draft. It was my third year of being truly interested in following football in a deeper level and keeping up with college football’s top prospects as they entered the NFL. In 2001, I began evaluating prospects and creating my own rankings and draft boards so by the 2003 draft, I felt like I was on my way to being the next Mel Kiper.

In the fourth round, with the No. 111 overall pick, the Buffalo Bills selected cornerback Terrence McGee out of Northwestern State and I was instantly humbled. Why? I had never heard of McGee. After all of my preparations, I didn’t even know a player who was taken in the fourth round. I took it hard and vowed to make sure this never happened again while taking my studies of players to an even deeper level.

Ten years later, a player here and there gets drafted that wasn’t on my radar but it’s very rare. This passion and drive for evaluating prospects has lead me to this great opportunity to share my work with you on Buffalo Bills Draft and now the debut of this scouting column. As for McGee, he went on to have a stellar 10-year career in the NFL; he holds six Bills franchise records and has been selected as an All-Pro on two occasions.

I have plenty in store for the 2014 season as I introduce a new crop of future NFL players. This column will be a great source to familiarize yourself with the prospects that will be selected next spring. Over the course of the season, I will feature more than 150 prospects for the 2015 draft as I highlight them in their biggest games, provide initial positional rankings, make predictions, and spotlight some of today’s best NFL draft analysts and football minds.

I hope you enjoy the 2014-15 College Football season and stay tuned as I share my thoughts.